STARS : John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, John Corbett, Jeremy Piven and Eugene Levy

Do you know the meaning of Serendipity? Well, the movie states that it means “Fortunate Accident” and that’s just what happens when Jonathon (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) meet in a Bloomingdales whilst angling for that elusive last pair of black gloves in New York.

They go out for a coffee and have a great time but Sara refuses to give Jonathon her phone number stating that if they are meant to meet again then they will. When fate does indeed intervene and their paths cross again Sarah decides to truly put her theory to the test.

She gets Jonathon to write his number on a $5 note which she then cashes in and stating that when she gets the note back she will call him. In ORDER to be fair she then writes her name inside a book that she then sells to second hand book shop. Her reasoning is that if they are truly meant to spend the rest of their lives together then Jonathon will be able to track the book down and call her up if she doesn’t get the note back.

7 years pass and each has moved on, Jonathon and Sarah are both engaged and about to marry but both still remember the one special night that they shared and decide to try and track each other down.

Strong casting is the key to this film as Cusack and Beckinsale are excellent. The support cast of Shannon, Piven, Corbett and Levy provide the comedic highlights to what are the essentially straight main leads.

Watch It If You Enjoyed : Sleepless In Seattle

Verdict : Familiar

THE EXTRAS

* Directors Commentary : Peter Chelsom delivers quite a detailed summary for everything he wanted to achieve and what he actually did. It’s easy to see that he really enjoyed making the film and as everyone on set got along extremely well it does SHOW in the finished product. He also delivers some of the insider jokes and cheat practises used to present the final cut.

* “On The Set” featurette (20 mins) : A lighthearted look at the goings on whilst the filming of the movie took place. It’s basically not much more than extended trailer with some interviews and behind the scenes footage thrown in for good measure. There are interviews with Cusack, Beckinsale and director Peter Chelsom as well as other members of the cast and crew. There’s nothing you haven’t seen before but it’s still enjoyable to watch.

* Deleted Scenes (16 mins) : There are actually 9 deleted scenes rather than the advertised 5 so be careful. All of these can be viewed with or without directors commentary. The listed scenes are the “Original Bloomingdale’s Opening, Jonathon gets cubed”, “The First Kiss”, “Time Marches On” & “Is This Garfinkles Department Store?” but there are 4 other short scenes as well. All are actually extensions of scenes already in the film rather than deleted but that is just being pedantic. For the record, these scenes are presented in non anamorphic widescreen and surround sound.

* Stills Gallery : There are well over 50 photos here if you’re so inclined to wander through them all.

The following extras are also not advertised but can be easily found by going clicking on the snowflake on the extras menu.

* Storyboard Comparison (45 seconds) : Quick look at one of the funnier scenes in the movie at the golf driving range.

* Theatrical Trailer

* On Set Diary : This is several pages of text written by the film’s director Peter Chelsom. that covers 55 days of shooting in an easy to read and often humorous manner.

CONCLUSION

Serendipity is a highly enjoyable film that has excellent casting as Cusack and Beckinsale play the tormenteds souls to perfection.

With thanks to Buena Vista, Serendipity is available to rent from July 10